It started on Thursday
by CaptainRikkie
Summary: Marriage law - it started one Thursday morning, but where will it go from there?
1. The beginning

'I can't believe they're doing this to us!' Ron screamed angrily, shaking his head in frustration. 'After everything we've been through, after everything we've done!'

Hermione sighed, looking at the newspaper in her hands. Or rather, what was left of it since Ron tore it from her hands quite abruptly.

'This is awful.' Harry said quietly, 'Can they really pull something like this on us?' The question was aimed at Hermione, but for once, she did not have an answer ready.

Instead, she shrugged and averted her gaze towards the newspaper article which a mumbling Ron still held.

_MARRIAGE LAW – GENIUS OR INSANE?  
On Monday, a marriage law has been passed by the Ministry of Magic. According to it, all witches and wizards from ages 16 to 30 will have to enter arranged marriages not later than January of next year. These next couple of weeks, witches and wizards in question should await a letter with more information. The letter will include the name of their chosen partner. Should the marriage law be ignored, the offenders will face a term in Azkaban.  
'This really is for the benefit of everyone,' Says Theodore Hopkins, the new Minister of Magic, 'We've been discussing this topic for quite some time now, and we have all come to the conclusion that this is the best option for the problems we are facing in our society. I know that a lot of people might not understand this decision, but I can assure you that you need not worry – we will take care of everything.'  
While Mr. Hopkins definitely sounds convincing, there are a lot of objections going on.  
'This is insane,' says Mrs. Wood, ' How can they do such a thing to our children? I think that not only will it not solve our problems – it will create many more!'  
Tom Rodney, a Minister worker, however, is quick to soothe. 'People need to calm down and take the situation as it comes. We did not come up with it out of the blue – we thought about it for a long time, and expertly decided for it. You need to remember that not so long ago arranged marriages were a very important part of everyday life of the wizarding world. Not only that, but it worked quite splendidly too, so why shouldn't it work now? And besides, if (which I highly doubt!) the marriage will not work in three to five years time, witches and wizards are free to get a divorce.  
So, dear readers, we can expect a wedding boom any time now! _

Hermione thought that this was some awful news to receive on an otherwise ordinary Thursday morning. Looking around, she noticed all the other students with their mouths open, frustration and disbelief evident on their faces. Some of them were mumbling to one another, others, like Ron, were screaming in anger and banging their heads against the table.

Hermione did not know how she should react. Sure, she was angry and upset, but disbelief clouded her head and she could not think clearly. Had the Ministry really the right to just jumble up their lives like that? Was there no law preventing such things from happening?

Next to her, Ron raised his head towards the ceiling which was as gloomy as everyone's mood and cried out in a desperate voice – ' Our lives are screwed, screeeewed!'

Yes they are, Hermione thought to herself.


	2. Hermione is tired of Ron

It had been a couple of days since the article in 'The Daily Prophet' and students were both waiting and fearing for the letters to arrive. Some hoped for the best – perhaps they would be matched with their friends, their second halves, their crushes? Others, like Hermione, knew that such a thing was impossible. If life was out to get them, she was sure it would do it in the worst possible way.

Ron was still raging and swearing every few seconds. Hermione was surprised to see Ron in such a state, but she also understood him, as he was just doing what she herself would have done had she not been raised with iron manners.

Harry was quiet. He spent most of his time deep in thought, and no one could tell what he was thinking of. Hermione was pretty sure that the only thing on his mind right now must be Ginny – after all, they were in love for almost a year and had big plans for the future. She laughed bitterly. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered now, because the ministry had their lives all figured out.

'Bloody hell, bloody hell, bloody hell!' Ron repeated, pacing around the room.

Hermione sighed, putting down her quill and looked around. To be honest, she was getting tired of Ron's constant shouting. She wanted to forget all this madness, and the best way to do so was by immersing herself into schoolwork. Yet it never fully worked for she was always interrupted by Ron.

Sighing again, she took in all the students in the common room. They looked miserable and frustrated, spitting out a curse here and there, but at least they weren't annoying Hermione half to death.

'Ron, please calm down a little.' She pleaded.

'Calm down a little?! Calm down? ME? Are you insane? Has she gone mad, Harry? Have I no right to be angry?!' He looked like he was about to spit out fire and to Hermione's own surprise, she almost laughed.

Composing herself she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

'Of course you have the right to be angry, Ron. We all have. But perhaps you could put all this negative energy into something useful; for example, you could look for information on how to avoid this marriage law.'

Ron glared in response. 'And how do you propose I do that?'

'I don't know, maybe talk to your father? He does work in the ministry, you know.'

To Hermione's surprise, Ron smiled like a madman.

'I have a better idea, Hermione. Why don't I just handle it my own way?'

Hermione nodded enthusiastically. He was probably going to go to the library and look for a book on marriage laws. She was planning on doing so herself, but Ron seemed pretty eager –

'WHY MERLIN?! WHYYYYY?!'

Hermione almost jumped a good few feet in the air when she heard Ron's cry. He had his arms extended and his head once again raised at something invisible above. Shaking her head sadly, she exited the common room in a hurry.

She was the Head girl after all. It was her turn to do the rounds, and if she escaped Ron's anger fits, well, the better for her, right?


	3. An encounter in the dark

_Hey guys! Sorry it took me so long to update this story. Hopefully, I'll write more frequently from now on. I know this chapter is incredibly short, but bear with me, I promise they'll get longer. Also, thank you for all your reviews/faves/follows. They mean the world to me, so keep them coming! *wink wink*_

Hermione cursed under her breath as she bumped into something hard.

Taking her wand out of her pocket in one swift movement, she was about to murmur a spell when a pool of light erupted just above her head.

Squinting, with her mouth still open to say the spell, she glared up and froze. It wasn't something. It was someone.

'You just can't stay away from me, can you, Granger?' a cold drawl that no doubt belonged to a certain Slytherin reached her ears.

Hermione glared at the tall Italian boy standing in her way, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.

'Go away, Zabini. I have work to do.'

Zabini made no attempt to leave. Even worse, he took one step towards Hermione.

'Don't tell me you have to do the rounds, because if my memory serves me right, Mondays are all mine.' He said, staring at her intently.

Hermione stared right back, squaring her shoulders and refusing to back down.

Zabini let out a soft laugh.

'Unless, of course, you came to _help me_?'

'Yes. I came to delight you with my company.' Hermione answered sarcastically.

'Wonderful.' Zabini said, licking his lips and taking another step forward.

Hermione coughed and took a step back, hitting her back against the cold stone wall.

'But I should really go. Like you said, Mondays are all yours.'

'Mondays are not the only thing I wouldn't mind making all mine.' Zabini said, a strange expression on his face, his eyes burning intently.

Hermione coughed again, not liking the situation in the slightest. For one, it was turning impossibly hard to breathe.

Hermione chided herself. She had to act normal, for god's sakes. She was the smartest witch of her year. What was it about this young man that made her brain turn to mush? She mentally damned the day when they became co-heads.

Then, pushing Zabini away, made a quick, cowardly run towards the Gryffindor tower.

Zabini's mocking laughter was all she could hear for the rest of the evening.


End file.
